Smiling Fore Life

Smiling Fore Life

In 2010, The South Florida PGA Foundation created Smiling Fore Life, a program whereby SFPGA Professionals visit local children’s hospitals weekly. The PGA Professionals bring golf into children’s lives who may be experiencing hardship, and afford them with an opportunity to forget about the struggles they are experiencing, get out of their hospital room and enjoy a fun and new activity. In addition to the great benefits this program provides to the children it also affords SFPGA Professionals the opportunity to get more involved in the local community. Currently four hospitals and one children’s healthcare facility are participating in this program, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, the Children’s Hospital at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Golisano Children’s Hospital of SW Florida in Fort Myers, the Quantum House in West Palm Beach, and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.

After six years this program has experienced much growth and success, and impacts more than 1,100 young patients annually. In addition to not just providing golf to the patients, in September of 2012 a permanent mark was left at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital with the installation of an astroturf putting green on the facility’s fourth floor. This installation was a “hole in one” with the patients and physicians, said Nick Masi, Director of Family Centered Care at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.